Attachment for tugs or traces



(No Model.)

L. WER LE.

ATTACHMENT FOR TUGS OR TRAGES.

No. 353,185. Patented Nov. 23, 1886.

1? M, ZM erle,

If r 3513M Qtfozuu /J llNiTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUIS \VERLE, OF VARREN, PENNSYLVANIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR TUGS OR TRACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No,353,l85, dated November 23, 1886.

Application filed July I4, 1886. SerialNo. $,0l8. (No modehl To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, LUIS \VERLE, a citizc of the United States, residing at \Varren, in the county of Varren and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful linprovement in Attachment for Tugs or Traces,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the connection of the back and belly bands to the tugs or traces of heavy harness; and the obj ect of my invention is to avoid the clumsy and wasteful mass of leather which has heretofore been found at the point of connection between the back and belly bands and tugs or traces.

To the above purpose inyinveution consists in the peculiar and novel construction and arrangement of the attachment, as hereinafter portion of the attachment, said body portion consistingof a plate, preferably of malleable iron and oblong in shape. At one end this plate is formed with areduced portion, u, having ahole, a, and at the opposite end with a similar reduced portion, a, with a hole, (0 The plate A is provided on its opposite side edges with loops A A which are formed or cast integral with the same. These loops are arranged on a place considerably to one side of the plate and out of line therewith, so that the strain of the back and belly bands of the harness, which are connected to the said loops, is brought directly upon the center of the harness-tug and not upon the upper and lower sides thereof, as will be very readily understood. Each of the loops comprises the side bars, a, which are arranged to one side and out of line with the body or plate of the attachment, and the end bars, a", which connect the said side bars, a, with the body or plate A, the extremities of the end bars being curved forwardly and out of line with the side bars at the points where they join the body or plate of the attachment, as clearly shown in the sectional View, Fig. 4:.

the body or plate of theattaehmentand in line with the vertical center or axis of the harnesstug B, to which the attachment is secured, the strain of the said back .and belly straps is brought directly in line with the center of the tug B, thereby relieving the attachment of the direct strain of the straps O D and materially adding to the strength and durability of the structure.

At the point of union between the reduced portion a and the body Ais formed transverse ridge a, the under side of which is grooved out to receive a D or ring, a of the body A is formed a hole, a

The plate A is secured to the harness as follows: B designates the trace or a leather sect-ion of a tug, and at c a designate rivets passing, respectively, through the holes a a a of the plate. These rivets pass also through the leather B, and are clinched on the inner side of the same, leaving a practically smooth inner surface to the leather.

The straight bar of a D is fitted in the groove of the ridge a of the plate A, or a ringmay be fitted therein, the groove in the latter instance being curved to conform to the shape of the ring. The D or ring is confined between the ridged part of the plate A and the tug B, and it is free to swing back and forth and accommodate itself to the movements of the breeching strap, which is padded therethrough. The D is thus swiveled between the plate and tug, and it is arranged on the opposite or outer side of the plate or body A to the integral loops A A thereof, so that it is free to swing back and forth and accommodate itself to the motions of the breechingstrap without coming in contact with the said loops A A. lVhen whifl'letrees are connected to neck-yok es of harness for holding back purposes, and with straps running from the whiffletrees to the In the middle breeching, the said holdback or brecchingstraps are passed through the swiveled D or loop, which swings freely and readily accommodates itself to any position and movement of the straps without stretching the loops A A thereby forming a secure support for the breeching-straps and permitting free movement thereof.

By virtue of this attachment much time and labor are saved in making up the harness, and much material is also eeonomized. The under side of the tug or trace at the point of atfor a harness attachment, which comprises a body or plate having projecting flanges on opposite sides, between which is arranged a ban ness -tug, the said tug being riveted to the plate. This plate is further provided with three loops, two of which are arranged on opposite sides of the plate and the other one at one end thereof. All of these three loops are cast integral with the plate, and they are arranged in line therewith or in the same vertical plane. My invention differs from the devices shown in the patents hereinbefore referred to in that I arrange the side loops of the plate or body to one sideof the said body and out of the same vertical plane of thesame, whereby the strain of the back and belly bands is brought upon the center of the harness-tug. My invention further differs from the devices of the said patents in that I provide the plate or body with a swiveled D, which is arranged in a vertical position and at right angles to the integral loops of the said body in the opposite side of the said plate to the loop thereof, so that neither it nor the breeching'strap supported thereby will strike the loops. The breeching-strap passes freely through the said D without interefering with or striking the loops, and the D will swing freely to accommodate itself to the motions of the said breeching-strap.

I am further aware that it is not new to pro vide alharness-buckle with obliqueloops, and this construction I therefore broadly disclaim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As an improved article of manufacture, an attachment for traces or tugs, comprising a flat plate or body, A, provided with holes for the insertion of rivets or like means for secur ing the plate or body to one side or face of the trace or tug, the said plate or body being bent outward transversely at one end to provide a ridge, a, the inner side of which ridge provides a groove or space between the plate and the leather, aswinging 13,66 journaled inthe said groove or space, and the integral loops A AKat opposite sides of the plate or body A, said loops being deflected in rear of a vertical line drawn through the body or plate A, so that the loops come directly on a line with the solid portion of the trace or tug, as set forth. 

